stedman



No. 626,3l2. Patented June 6, I899. W. H. STEDMAN.

SEWING MACHINE.

(Application filed May 20, 1897.)

LNo Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 626,3I2. I Patented June 6, I899.

W. H. STEDMAN.

SEWING MACHINE.

(Application filed May 20, 1897.) (No Model.) 3 Shets-$heet 2.

m: NoRmS PETERS co. PNQTD-LITHD., wnsumsm n c No. 626,3l2. Patented June6, I899. W. H. STEDMAN.

SEWING MACHINE.

(Application filed May 20, 1897.)

3 Sheets-$haet 3 (No Model.)

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man STATES PATENT FFICE;

WILLIAM H. STEDMAN, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERROIVMACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,312, dated June 6,1899.

Application filed May 201 1897. seri l 1% 63 71440- (N0 m l T0 (0% whomit may concern:

' Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. STEDMAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of Hartford, in the State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to single-chain sewing-machines, and have fortheir principal objects rapidity, durability, certainty of action,adjustability, and simplicity of mechanism.

My present invention consists in a novel form of looping mechanismcomprising two cooperating instruments in addition to the eye-pointedneedle for producing the chaining or stitching, each of said instrumentsreciprocating in but a single plane, as will be hereinafter explained.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification andrepresent my preferred embodiment of this invention, Figure 1 is a frontelevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the lowerportion of the left end of said machine on lines a: x 90 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a detached top view showing the looptaker, the loop-carrier,andtheir operating and supporting mechanism,together with portions of thefeeding apparatus. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View of theloop-taker, the loop carrier, and loop. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectionalview of a loop-taker of modified form, loop-carrier, and loop. Fig. 6 isan enlarged top view of a modified form of loop-taker with needle insection. Figsti, S, 9, 10, 11, and

2 are diagrammatical views illustrating different stages of thestitch-formin g operations.

Similar letters and numerals in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

In illustrating the preferred form of embodiment of my present inventionI have shown it specially adapted for application to and use inconnection with the same general form of actuating mechanism as thedoublechain machine of my application, Serial No.

pitman; O, the looper-supporting shaft fixed in hearings on the frame;P, the sleeve surrounding the looper-shaft and provided at one end witha radial socket or carrier 1:); P, a second sleeve surrounding sleeve Pand also provided with a radial socket or carrier 19; Q, Q, crank-armsattached to their respective sleeves P P in a manner to permitcircumferential adjustment with relation thereto; R R, sphericalcrank-pins adj ustably and removably applied to the crank-arms Q Q;

S S, spherical eccentrics on the main driving,

shaft, and T T pitmen connecting the eccentries and crank-pins.

All the foregoing elements are to be found in the machine of thedoublechain application, and so far as my preseut'invention is concernedthey represent typical means for holding and feeding the fabric, forreciprocating the fabric-penetrating needle, and for communicatingreciprocating movements to the two members of the looping mechanismtowit, the loop-taker 1 and the loop* carrier 10. These two members arearranged to reciprocate transversely of the needle beneath theWork-plate, the movements of each member being performed in a singleplane, the path of one lying above and crossing that of the other.

For the purpose of adapting the looping instruments to the special formof drivingand carrying mechanism shown each is provided .with a pointedoperating-section arranged to traverse in a substantially horizontalplane beneath the work-plate and a shank extending therefrom at anangle, so that it may be secured to its socket or carrier 17 or p in amanner to permit both lateral and radial adjustment. The office of theloop-taker 1 is to enter the loop of needle-thread on one side of theneedle, and as the latter is withdrawn through the fabric spread ordivert one side of the loop and hold it in position to be entered by theloop-carrier and to assist in opening 'outthe loop and holding it inposition for the needle to enter it when it descends again through thefabric. With these ends in view the loop-taker is furnished with anentering point 2, so related to the plane of movement of the loop-takerthat it will pass close to one side of the needle above the eye therein,and a laterally-tapering section 3 in rear of the point for divertingthe side of the loop nearest the needle into orbeyond the path of theloop-carrier.

In the preferred form the loop-taker is fur- I nish-ed with a narrowvertical blade 4, pointed at one end and flattened, as at 5, on the sidenearest the needle for a short distance in rear of the point, while onthe opposite side it is provided with an enlargement 6. In rear of theflattened section 5 and on the same side the lower margin of the blade 4is extended laterally to form a tapering fin or flange 7, whose edgeoroperating-facefi recedes gradually from the flattened section untilattainin g its full dimensions, as at 8', at which point thecross-section is approximately as shown in Fig. 4. A thread-detainingshoulder 9 is also provided on the under .surface of the blade 4. Thisshoulder is not designed to prevent the escape of the loop from thelooptaker as the latter is withdrawn, but merely to retard and delay theescape of the loop, acting as a drag rather than a hook to assist inpositioning the loop without permitting its ultimate escape, whiletheloop-taker continues in motion in the same direction. The enlargement6 on the side is designed to assistinobtainingan increased supply ofthread by passing into the loop when the thread is slack and bydisten-ding the loop gaining a fullness of loop nearly or quitesufficient to permit of the easy. passage of. the tapering section 3. Italso acts to fill the loop and control in a measureits position as thelooptaker is withdrawn from the loop.

Although preferred, it is not essential tha the loop-taker should befurnished with a verticalblade land lateral flange 7, as it may i beused to advantage in the form illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, where thetapering section 3,

instead of being in the form of aflange or fin projected from the bladeor body portion, constitutes one edge of the body, the latter beingflattened horizontally, as in Fig. 5, instead of vertically, in Fig. 4.I

The office of the loop-ca-rri'eris to enter the loop while on theloop-taker and, passing be yond the path of the needle, spread theloopso that the needle may enter it. For this purpose the loop-carrier10 is furnished with an entering point 11 and shoulder or hook 12 forengaging and carrying the loop, and it is arranged to traverse in a pathoverlying the tapering section 3 of the loop-taker, so that Fig. 9.

when the latter has deflected the loop across the path of the needle theloop-carrier will enter theloop and carry the thread forward to open andspread the loopbeneath the descending needle. The reciprocating motionsof the loop-taker and the loop-carrier are properly timed relatively toeach other and that of the needle, so as to cause the loop-taker toprecede the loop-carrier and enter the loop ;of needle-thread as theneedle rises, the

spreading section 3 passing beneath the point of the ascending needle,and the loop-carrier following the loop-taker enters the loop andcontinues its forward motion after the looptaker has begun its .returnmotion, so as to spread the loop, the latter extending from 3 the hook12 on the loop-carrier to the detaining-shoulder 9 on the loop-taker.

The loop-carrier now reverses its motion and,.fol-

; lowing the loop-taker, presents the loop in expanded form beneath theneedle, the latter passing down between the ends of the looptaker andloop-carrier.

The operation will be more readily understood by reference to Figs. 7 to11, inclusive. Let it be supposed that the needle has been properlythreaded and the operation of scaming has been interrupted with thevertical needle at or nearits lowest position, at which time theloop-taker and the loop-carrier will stand approximately as shown inFig. '7. E Upon starting the machine in motion the needle will rise andthe loop-taker advance to- Ward and on one side of the needle, the pointof the loop-taker entering between the needle and its thread andreceiving the loop formed j by the ascentof. the needle, approximatelyas represented in Fig. 8. ing place, theloop-carrier remains practicallyWhile this is takat rest. As the needle continues to rise the Iloop-taker advances through the loop, expandi-ng or diverting one sideof the loop into 5 the path of the loop-carrier, which latter nowadvances and enters the loop, as indicatedin At this stage theneedle-thread loop is around both the loop-taker and the loopcarrier,the former having arrived at or near the limit of its forward movement,so as to pass its detainingshoulder 9' through the loop while theloopcarrier is still advancing. Continuing the operation, the partsassume approximately the positionsindi'cated in Fig.

10, the fabric having been fed or advanced and the needle moving downthrough the fabri'c. At this stage of the operation the loopcarrier isadvancing on one side of. and beyond the needle carrying the thread inits' a hook, while the loop-taker is moving in the opposite direction orretreating on the other side of the needle, the thread engaging shoulder12.

passing down between the'loop-taker and the loop-carrier. The needlecontinues to de- Thus the-loop is spread or opened beneath the point ofthe needle,the latter shedding it onto the needle, as indicated in Fig.11, thus completing one complete cycle of operation.

It is of course understood that the usual take-ups and tensions may beemployed.

Although in the present embodiment I have shown the loop-taker andloop-carrier oscillating in curved paths and about the same center, itis by no means essential that such should be the case, for, as isobvious, these parts might oscillate about independent centers orreciprocate in straight instead of curved paths; nor is it necessarythat the loop-taker and loopcarrier should both be operated from thesame side of the needle or that they should approach the needle from theright side, as shown in the drawings, rather than from the front, rear,or left side, the only essential conditions being that the two shouldmove on opposite sides of the needle to take and deliver the loop andthat their paths should be so related that the looptaker will spread ordivert the loop into the path of the loop-carrier. It will be observedthat the loop-taker and 1oop-carricr are independently adjusted bothlaterally and longitudinally of their working sections, thus permittin gthe proper timing of their movements both for forming the stitches andcontrolling the positions of the thread and size of the loop.

lVhile I have illustrated my new looping mechanism as applied inconnection with a single eye-pointed needle, it is obvious it may beemployed in connection with existing types of machines provided with aplurality of needles and a common looping mechanism or a loopingmechanism for each needle.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a sewing-machine such as described, and in combination with itsreciprocating thrcad-carryin g needle,a looptaker and a loopcarrierreciprocating on relatively opposite sides of and in a directiontransverse to the needles line of reciprocation, said loop-taker beingprovided with a point for entering between the needle and its thread, adeflectingsurface next the needle for extending the loop into the pathof the loop-carrier, and a thread-detaining shoulder serving as a dragon the loop,while the loop-carrier is provided with a loop-enteringpoint or end and a hook or shoulder in rear thereof for engaging theloop on the loop-taker and spreading said loop beneath the needle;substantially as described.

loop-carrier and loop-taker reciprocating in parallel planes and onrelatively opposite sides of the needles path; substantially asdescribed.

, 3. In a sewing-machine, such as described, the combination with thereciprocating thread-carrying needle, of the loop-taker l, with itsflattened point, enlargement 6, flange 7, and shoulder 9, and theloop-carrier 10, with its point and shoulder or hook 12, said partsbeing arranged for operation substan tially as described.

4. In a sewing-machine such as described, the combination with thereciprocating thread-carrying needle, of the loop-taker 1 and thereciprocating loop-carrier 10, both of said lastnamed implements beingarranged to reciprocate transversely of the needles path and actuatingdevices provided with means for effecting independent adjustment in adirection laterallyof the needle; substantially as described.

5. In a sewing-machine, such as described, the combination with thereciprocating thread-carrying needle, the driving-shaft, the two rockshafts or sleeves and the eccentrics and connections for communicatingmotion to said sleeves, of the loop-taker and the loopcarrier eachprovided with a horizontallymoving, operating portion and a shank eX-tending at an angle therefrom for attachment to its rock shaft orsleeve; substantially as de scribed.

6. In a sewing-machine such as described, the combination with thevertically-reciprocatin g thread-carrying needle, of thehorizontally-reciprocating loop-taker with its flattened point, taperingflange in rear of said point and thread-detaining shoulder 9, and thehorizontally-reciprocating loop carrier with its point and hook, saidloop-carrier having its path of movement above and substantiallyparallel with that of the loop-taker; substantially as described.

WILLIAM H. STEDMAN. Witnesses:

WINFIELD O. GRAHAM, ROBERT D. SMITH.

